On 2013-08-26 10:12, GentleHangman wrote:I like to make my own "Mai Tai Mix". I mix up a 12 oz, batch of orange curacao, orgeat and turbanado sugar syrup following the original proportions, and keep it in the fridge.
To make a Mai Tai I use 1 oz. of fresh lime, 1 oz of my "Mix", and two ounces of what ever rum combination I'm in the mood for. My favorite rums to use are: Appleton 12 year old and El DCorado 12 year old; Eldorado dark and Zaya; and Kohala Bay and El Dorado 12 year old. I enjoy making the original recipes for the Jet Pilot, 1934 Zombie, the Hukilau etc. but when I'm tired or lazy or tired and lazy. . . I just reach for my Mai Tai Mix and all is well with the world!

Appleton 12 and El Dorado 12 is one of my favorite combinations as well. Appleton 12 and Clement VSOP -- the often recommended combination -- is also excellent. Sometimes I'll go with the Barbacourt 8 Year and a Jamaican.

Also make sure you try it with Clement Creole Shrub instead of the Orange Curacao. It's a nice variation that I make occasionally. (Not my idea, by the way. I think it's a pretty common substitution.)

For Curacao, I'll use Senior, Pierre Ferrand, Marie Brizard, Grand Marnier -- whatever's handy. Grand Marnier is a little sweeter, though, so if I use it, I cut out the simple syrup. I've found they all work very nicely.
_________________David J. Montgomery
Professor Cocktail

On 2013-08-31 04:30, djmont wrote:Appleton 12 and El Dorado 12 is one of my favorite combinations as well. Appleton 12 and Clement VSOP -- the often recommended combination -- is also excellent. Sometimes I'll go with the Barbacourt 8 Year and a Jamaican.

Also make sure you try it with Clement Creole Shrub instead of the Orange Curacao. It's a nice variation that I make occasionally. (Not my idea, by the way. I think it's a pretty common substitution.)

For Curacao, I'll use Senior, Pierre Ferrand, Marie Brizard, Grand Marnier -- whatever's handy. Grand Marnier is a little sweeter, though, so if I use it, I cut out the simple syrup. I've found they all work very nicely.

I have not tried it with the Appleton 12 and the VSOP, however I do have the 12 so I will give that a shot, I have subbed out the V/X for Smith and Cross and that was pretty tasty - I always use Senior Curacao of Curacao and the VSOP

ED12 is one of my fav's as I use it in my Navy Grog's - will give it a shot with the 12 for a Mai Tai sometime, normally I cut the lime down to half ounce, skip the simple and up the Orgeat (Small Hands) to half an ounce

Actually . . . my up-scale rum blend using my home-made Mai Tai Mix is Appleton 12 with St. James Hors D' Age! But, as St James is becoming scarcer and scarcer I've had to make adjustments. . . I even like it with Appleton 21 year old all by itself! But . . . perhaps, that's just me! I just don't feel the need to purchase a "Mix" or "Concentrate" when I can make the drink as it was originally intended without the need of a degree in mixology (thanks to the Bum), . . in the case of the Mai Tai, how difficult is it really?
It's only five ingredients: Lime juice, Orange Curacao, Orgeat, simple syrup and your rum blend of choice. Sure, in a restaurant setting they might be pressed for time if such is the case, the use of a mix or concentrate may be a time saver. I don't seem to have that problem when I'm behind the bar at my house - even when I'm serving guests - I've trained them to be patient . . . if they want the "Real thing", they'll wait and watch as I make it . . . if they're in a hurry . . . they can drink elsewhere.

_________________
I bet you feel more like you do now now than you did when you came in.

Got mine late last week and have been making mai tais with it over the long weekend. I agree that it's in no way essential, but it's a pretty good shortcut, in my opinion. Much better than any other mai tai mix out there (unless you make your own).

I tried TV's Grog concentrate . . . I'll admit . . . it was passable (Had to double the amount of the concentrate fpor it to work properly); just OK. I have Hurricane Hayward's recipe for the Navy Grog, and the Yeoman's Grog . . . the latter being my preference. Hands down Hayward's recreations beat the TV concentrate hands down! I still have 1 1/2 bottles of the TV concentrate left, and I'll use them up when I'm in one of my 'lazy' moods.

_________________I bet you feel more like you do now now than you did when you came in.